East Hampshire residents are being reminded to take extra care to separate their waste before visiting a household waste recycling centre (HWRC), to reuse and recycle more, and to reduce the amount of material going to landfill or incineration.

Cllr Nick Adams-King, Hampshire County Council’s executive lead member for universal services, said: “Lowering the volume of waste that gets sent to landfill or incineration means we can keep costs down and be kinder to our environment.

“On average around half of the waste left at HWRCs is reused or recycled, but the figure does fluctuate across different sites, and we know some material is still being sent for disposal unnecessarily, often as part of a bag full of mixed items that are deposited in a container with waste that won’t be recycled.

“Collectively, by taking a few moments more to sort our waste material, we could save up to £200,000 of taxpayers’ money every year. Being as efficient as we can is more important than ever at a time when operating costs are rising steeply, and following the government’s announcement that HWRCs will be unable in the future to cover some of these costs through DIY waste disposal charges.   

“We’re asking residents to help us by separating their waste into what can and cannot be recycled as much as possible before taking a trip to a HWRC so it can be deposited in the correct container quickly and correctly.”

Most HWRCs in Hampshire can recycle garden and green waste, metal, wood, cardboard, electrical equipment and appliances, batteries, printer cartridges, light bulbs, furniture, clothing, textiles, paint, chemicals, engine oil and gas bottles.

Check what is accepted at each HWRC at www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recyclingcentres/householdwaste and book an appointment to visit a HWRC at www.hants.gov.uk